Garage Burglary Suspects Arrested

Four people were arrested last night after they allegedly tried to steal items from cars in an apartment parking garage.

Three males, including a 17-year-old juvenile, entered an apartment building in the Columbia Heights West neighborhood by following a resident through the front door, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. As they entered they put on masks and gloves and went down to the garage, Sternbeck said.

A resident called police around 11:25 p.m. after observing suspicious individuals looking into cars. Police arrived at the building, on the 800 block of S. Greenbrier Street, and arrested the three suspects inside the garage, Sternbeck said.

A woman, who police say was the getaway driver, was later arrested in a van outside the apartment. She apparently didn’t notice the commotion inside the garage because she was talking on her cell phone when the arrests were made, Sternbeck said.

The two adult men — Charles Messiah of Annandale and Kareem Taylor, both 19 — were charged burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. One was also charged with resisting arrest.

Sternbeck recommended that residents be mindful of individuals trying to gain access to apartment buildings and secured parking garages. He also commended the resident who alerted police to this incident.

The kid on the right looks like he’s 13 (and been balling his eyes out for a while prior to the photo).

KathyInArlingtonVA

NOT ME — That word should be bawling, not balling.

Not Me

Thanks!

Mary-Austin

He thought he was gonna be ballin’ but instead he caught a charge.

Ricardo

Definitely offensive!

Mary-Austin

You’re too easily offended.

Ricardo

No, I meant as in “offensive foul.” Caught a charge! Get it? (March Madness approaches.)

arlingtonbrodogg

WHO SNITCHED?!?! YIELD TO SNITCHING!

Eric

Annandale? Lorton? Yet we still assume Arlington is preyed upon by criminal types from DC and PG.

Rob42

poors cause trouble no matter where they live

Minor Threat

Rob42 or Grand WIzard 42?

Rob42

nothing particularly racist about my comment, unless it is assuming the perpetrators are poor, which seems like a reasonable assumption regardless of race given they were caught breaking into cars.

It’s poor people (and the culture they live in) that cause trouble, not anyone’s skin color

WeiQiang

some people assume

Ricardo

No one said “exclusively.”

arachne

The woman in the middle should ask for her money back from her school.

CSEM

World of Life Academy – nice!

G Clifford Prout

Don’t worry. The shirt is probably stolen too.

KT

I related to all these kids and they good kids you don’t know what you all talking about. they never get in trouble

SomeGuy

Translation please?

dr seuss

Use your words, we’ll wait.

nom de guerre

Brofile Cam™ trio.

Seriously?

WOL Christian Academy must be elated about the “free publicity”

DeportEmAll

This is South Arlington, right?

FedUp

wow, I just checked online, the second man listed literally has over a dozen breaking and entering, identity theft/fraud, burglary, petit larceny, grand theft larceny and alcohol charges stemming from Alexandria to Fairfax to Arlington. Not even a year ago he was charged with burglary and breaking and entering in Arlington, both felonies, but the Arlington prosecutors office reduced both to misdemeanors and he was given only 1 month but was out in 2 weeks. That is the longest sentence he has ever been handed, 1 single month in jail, and now here he is, doing it again. I bet they will give him some deal again and he will do 2 months and be out to do this stuff again. Unbelievable.

jackson

When people don’t mind an extra set of taxes to pay for extra prisons for nonviolent crimes like this, then maybe the law will push for harsher sentencing. Until then the murderers have first bids on beds.

yup I went there

Nonviolent?? Seriously, did you miss the resisting arrest portion of the charges? If they would fight people with guns, they wouldn’t hesitate to harm innocent people.

jackson

I’m certainly not defending this brain trust, but resisting arrest could have meant trying to run, not necessarily taking a swing at a cop.

A. Any person who intentionally prevents or attempts to prevent a law-enforcement officer from lawfully arresting him, with or without a warrant, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

B. For purposes of this section, intentionally preventing or attempting to prevent a lawful arrest means fleeing from a law-enforcement officer when (i) the officer applies physical force to the person, or (ii) the officer communicates to the person that he is under arrest and (a) the officer has the legal authority and the immediate physical ability to place the person under arrest, and (b) a reasonable person who receives such communication knows or should know that he is not free to leave.

R. Griffon

Incorrect. KT very clearly stated above that they are good kids and never get in trouble. This is obviously a malicious campaign to besmirch their good names. Good day sir.

R. Griffon

(Grr. Supposed to be in response to FedUp above.)

Hans Gruber

Arl PD getting it done lately–cheers to them for responding (what must have been) quickly to the call.

On another note, PD must have sent at least 3 or 4 cars to respond to this, based on the number of cars they like to roll up for a simple traffic stop. If the getaway driver didn’t notice this, this crew might wanna start looking for a new getaway driver.